Change in Suicide Rate Attributable to Individual’s Treatment with Antidepressants

Annette Erlangsen, Aarhus Universitet
Vladimir Canudas-Romo, Pennsylvania State University
Yeates Conwell, University of Rochester

The objective of the present study is to decompose the suicide rate in the order to determine how large a proportion of the decrease in the rate over time can be attributed to individuals being in specific types of treatment for mood disorders. The study population consists of all Danes aged 50+ during 1995-2000. The subjects are grouped according to treatment status (SSRI, tri-cyclic anti-depressants, no current treatment). The suicide rate of the population under study is decomposed into different components. The first component accounts for changes in the suicide rate due to changes in the age structure of the population and the second component accounts for changes in suicidal behavior by treatment group. Following this procedure the actual suicide rate of each treatment group is calculated.